24 April 2008

If It's Thursday, It Must Be Boston

When it turned out that I would be going on my East Coast adventure by myself, I had the brilliant idea to contact a chum from EWS who has recently returned to the States after living in Eastern Europe for a few years.

Now living and work in suburban Mass, she had not yet experienced the frolicking adventure that is the Boston Duck Tour. So naturally, we had to try it!

After a tricky moment with her Charlie Card in the ticket machine, we were on the T "riding (not forever) 'neath the streets of Boston" and emerging at the Prudential Center.

What a great idea to connect several office buildings and hotels with an indoor arcade cum shopping mall! We purchased our Duck Tour tickets, had lunch, found a nice clean ladies room and did it all in air-conditioned comfort. I'm sure the climate control is even more appreciated in the winter! They even had a Catholic Chapel!! In a mall!!

It was quite windy at the Duck Stop, but we had a nice conversation with a young couple from England. They had just arrived from a stop in Canada where they had been impressed with the amount of snow. Apparently, no one piles on the snow like a Canadian, or something like that...

Our Duck Captain, Captain Kidding, wasn't super-duper funny, but he was amusing enough. Probably the highlight for me was crossing the finish line of the Boston Marathon. I know, I was on a Duck, but still, I have the photo to prove it! Bet you can't say that!

Speaking of being on a Duck, that is really what the vehicles are called. They are WWII amphibious landing craft to be precise. But it is just easier to call them Ducks. The second most fun part of the tour was going in and out of the Charles River.

After retrieving the car, we drove through the Big Dig tunnels and then got lost on the Tobin Bridge. No worries, just a short tour of Chelsea and Sommerville and then we were back on the right highway again.

After a brief tour of my friend's home and office, we headed to Lawrence for a nice dinner in an old factory. There are many old factories and mills along the river. it is nice that some of them have been reclaimed and re-purposed. Plus the food was pretty darn good! I think the place was called Salvatore's. My friend definitely plans to try it again.

We were both pretty tired after our day in Boston and decided to turn in early. I was staying in her daughter's room, with a bed under the eaves. I love that stuff!

Tomorrow, a bit of sightseeing and then back to New York on the ACELA.

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